Cannot Safely Remove My Passport Drive? Here’s How to Fix It

Western Digital’s My Passport external hard drives are widely used for data backup, media storage, and file transfers. However, one frustrating issue users frequently encounter is the inability to safely eject the My Passport drive from a Windows or Mac computer. If you keep getting the error “This device is currently in use” or the drive refuses to eject, it’s essential to resolve the issue without risking data corruption.

Why You Can't Safely Remove My Passport

When you try to eject the drive and get a warning, it means your operating system believes the device is still in use. Common causes include:

A file or folder on the drive is still open.

Background apps (like antivirus or backup software) are accessing the drive.

Windows Explorer or Finder is actively indexing or previewing files.

File transfers are still in progress or were interrupted.

Solutions for Windows Users

1. Close All Open Files and Programs

Ensure you’ve closed any files that are stored on the My Passport drive, such as documents, videos, or software. Also, exit any program that might have accessed the drive, like media players, backup utilities, or cloud sync tools.

2. Use Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Under the “Processes” tab, look for any background processes that may be using the drive (like Windows Explorer, backup services, or antivirus scans). Right-click and end those tasks cautiously.

3. Use 'Safely Remove Hardware' Tool

Click the USB icon in the system tray and select “Eject My Passport.” If it still doesn’t eject, use Disk Management:

Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management.

Find your drive, right-click, and choose Offline.

You can now safely unplug it.

4. Log Off or Restart

Logging out of your user session or restarting the computer ends all background processes, making it safe to remove the device afterward.

Solutions for Mac Users

1. Close Applications

Ensure no applications are using files from the drive. That includes Preview, Photos, Time Machine, or iTunes.

2. Use the Finder

Open Finder, locate the My Passport drive in the sidebar, right-click and choose “Eject.” Alternatively, drag it to the trash icon which turns into an eject symbol.

3. Use Disk Utility

If the drive won’t eject through Finder:

Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Select your My Passport drive and click Unmount.

Once unmounted, you can safely disconnect the drive.

4. Shut Down the Mac

If none of the above works, shut down your Mac completely. This ends all running processes, allowing you to remove the drive safely.

Final Tip: Prevent Future Eject Errors

To avoid this issue in the future:

Always close files before ejecting.

Disable automatic backup or antivirus scanning for external drives.

Avoid using the drive during heavy system processes.

Conclusion

Being unable to safely eject your My Passport drive is a common but solvable problem. Whether you're on Windows or Mac, following these steps will help protect your data and prevent file corruption. Always be cautious and never forcefully unplug the drive without taking safety measures.